'Mozart in the Jungle' Review: Amazon Orchestrates Comedy

December 22, 2014 8:33 PM

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It takes a little while to find its rhythm, but Mozart in the Jungle turns out to be one of the better shows Amazon Studios has placed in its stream. Set in the world of a fictional New York symphony orchestra, Mozart stars Gael García Bernal as a sweet-tempered rebel conductor, hired to boost attendance and charm wealthy donors. He immediately disrupts the orchestra's staid habits by hiring a young, talented, but inexperienced oboist played by Lola Kirke.

Kirke's oboist, Hailey, in her role as newcomer to the orchestra, is meant to be our eyes and ears in this novel-for-TV workplace. The first episode is a bit pokey and obvious — it's written (by Roman Coppola, Jason Schwartzman, and Alex Timbers) as though viewers will be shocked that classical musi...